In 2004 when Manchester United finished 3rd for the 3rd time in 4 seasons, it catapulted Patrick Vieira to proclaim their rein was over as the dominant force in English football. It looked to have proved to have been a wise statement, with United failing to win the title the next two seasons, as the rich and fame of the newly taken over Chelsea wiped all before them, winning the title twice in 2005 and 2006.
Nowadays United finishing 3rd would simply be unheard of, in fact, finishing 2nd is now considered as a failure of major proportions for a football club who’s expectations lie higher than anybody else’s. But those dark days of 2005 are today considered as relatively happy days for Manchester United, with a young and vibrant new team who started climbing up the Premiership ladder to eventually overthrow Chelsea and leave Jose Mouriniho fretting over the darkest days in his glorious football career.
Patrick Viera had in fact been proven wrong, United ventured new heights of being the best team, with the best manager and the best player in world football. 2005 is considered among United fans as the start of this new empire, the signing of Wayne Rooney, the first glimpses of Cristiano Ronaldo’s road to fame and glory. However, the fact is 2005 was a trophyless season, just like 2012 was, and the high regard the seasons of 2005 and 2006 have with Manchester United fans is simply down to the years that followed, looking back, reflecting on where it all started, at the time it was a very different story.
Infact, here is a selection of quotes from a thread on a forum very similar to this, in which shows a different light to the supposed ‘’base to the glory days’’ that 2005 is considered as.
‘’Sell Ronaldo, buy Malouda or give Richardson a chance’’
‘’man United are a sinking ship, how can we beat Chelsea when we attract *** like park and they have robben’’
‘’we are hardly on the way up, are we?’’
‘’i think we have to face facts, 3rd is now regular for us, then it will soon be 4th and 5th’’
The frustrating way in which Manchester United build up teams, slowly breaking it up and building it back up again over a number of years has always been the way they go about things. Every single player who Alex Ferguson keeps at the club, he believes has a future here and will succeed. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who it is clear was torn apart by many Unitedfans in 2005, was considered as a legend in 2009 when he departed to Real Madrid.
Players like Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck, who are regularly being announced by fans as not good enough, may be considered legends in a few years time. Missing out on players like Hazard, may be seen as a blessing, if Kagawa is successful.
In a few years time, the summer of 2012 may be looked upon as the start, the start of something special again. Overthrowing City instead of Chelsea, Manchester United will always succeed.